Sony has done a very low-key launch of its next flagship Xperia Z4, which is not really a big upgrade unlike what you see from the other smartphone manufacturers for the flagships. The Xperia Z4 has the same display size, resolution, camera combination and the exterior, while the only major difference being an upgrade in the processor.

A 5.2-inch 1080p display resolution is what one would be still happy about, as Sony doesn’t rush to bump up the resolution of the display. Under the hood, there is the new Snapdragon 810 processor with 3GB of RAM, and the device now has 32GB internal storage, with a MicroSD card expansion up to 128GB. While trying to keep the device slimmer, Sony has actually made a little compromise with the battery capacity, as the Xperia Z4 now has a 2930 mAh battery, unlike the 3100 mAh one in Xperia Z3.

The same 20.7-megapixel camera that was used in the Xperia Z3, is on the back of the successor, with a 2.3-inch f/2.0 aperture, optical image stabilization seems to still on software side. The front camera was a much needed upgrade, and Sony has done a change here, with a 5.1-megapixel camera with 25mm wide-angle lens being included for selfies now, and this seems to have a software support for stabilization of pictures.

The Xperia Z4 will run Android 5.0 Lollipop out-of-the-box, with Sony’s own UI layered over. A metal framing is another good addition on the side of the device, but the glass body is what might be at question, on how will it be able to dissipate the heat generated. One of the USPs of Sony devices, i.e. the IP65/68 certification for dust and water proofing, is still there.

The Xperia Z4 will be available in white, black, copper, aqua green. No exact dates for availability, and no pricing details are shared for now.

Earlier:
Sony was not in the top-end smartphone scene for the past few months, after the couple flagship announcements in a single year, but now, we might once again see a surprise announcement from the company, but no surprises if the new flagship gets an official unveiling as well. But, some leaks claim that it might be a Z3 Neo variant and not the Xperia Z4, which could be too early a release.

A report from Japan says that the company has sent local invites to the Japanese media, for an event to be held at 12:00 p.m. on 20th April, but details about the device are scarce. There are two ways to look at it – flagship announcement might happen in the second half of the year, given it was around that time last year when the Z3 was launched. But on the other side, it is safe to say that Sony might push in earlier than expected, given that the competitors have already done their part for the year (Galaxy S6, HTC One M9, and the LG G4 not far).

Sony had promised earlier that there won’t be more than one flagship per year, and thus, the leaks about Z3 Neo are being taken pretty seriously, but there is no proper claim except for a few tweets. Interestingly, the event there by ASUS is going to be held on the same day. Sony hasn’t let out any details about an event to be held outside of Japan.

All said and done, we just have to wait and watch. 20th April is when we will get to learn about something new from Sony.